Blue Sky Group and Royalty Compliance Organization

On April 01 , 2023, Nashville-based Blue Sky Group (BSG), and music rights and royalty auditing firm, Royalty Compliance Organization (RCO), joined forces with Armanino. The strategic additions of these two firms marked a major development that will strengthen Armanino’s business management services, broader tax and audit capabilities and give Armanino a Nashville presence, which is the heart of the music industry.

The Blue Sky Group with Harlan Hallet and Steven McMillan and RCO with Wayne Coleman and Darla Crain bring a wealth of talented entertainment business managers and audit experts in contract compliance, royalty audits, entertainment valuation and litigation support capabilities that propel Armanino forward in delivering the preeminent entertainment and business management services. Unique to business management firms, Armanino will continue to provide robust day-to-day business management services along with deepened tax, audit, and other service offerings relevant to entertainment industry consulting as well as family office services for ultra-high net-worth clients, all with a white-glove approach focused on client success.

"As far as industry-leading experts, we could not be more thrilled with the knowledge and talent that Blue Sky and RCO bring to our team, we know this will be incredibly valuable for our clients,” says Craig Manzino, Partner, Business Management at Armanino. “This will make Armanino one of the only business management groups in the world that will be able to offer the full slate of entertainment services while allowing us to deepen and expand our reach into Nashville, which we view as extremely important for our growth goals.”

Armanino’s Business Management team, which serves some of the leading musicians, entertainers and music publishers among other clientele out of their New York City and Los Angeles offices, will now have an office in Nashville . Music City is the country’s fastest-growing entertainment hotspot and an office in Nashville gives Armanino’s team and its clients the trifecta of office locations to serve the entertainment industry.

“As the industry standard for royalty audit services, RCO is excited to join Armanino’s entertainment practice and tap into the synergies that our firms bring to the table,” says Wayne Coleman, Founder and CEO of Royalty Compliance Organization. Darla Crain, COO of RCO adds, “by combining forces, we will be able to better serve our clients while being able to bring best-in-class offerings to Armanino and Blue Sky’s client base.”

“Blue Sky, RCO and Armanino share a common vision for the future of entertainment advice and business management service, and believe that we can evolve into the leading business management firm in the country,” says Harlan Hallet, Partner at Blue Sky. “By combining forces, we are only adding to an already successful business practice but now have the benefit of RCO’s capabilities and the leverage and resources of Armanino’s team. We see this as a major win for the entertainment industry as a whole.”

The addition of these firms comes as the entertainment industry continues to show signs of growth and a greater need for royalty compliance and auditing. Armanino is well-placed to take advantage of this growth. With offices serving the entertainment industry now in three major US cities, clients can expect a high-quality service across all aspects of business management from Armanino.

Armanino’s strong growth is anchored in its pursuit of expanded solutions, technology focus and specialized expertise. The firm has been listed on Inside Public Accounting’s Best of the Best Managed Firms list for 19 out of the last 20 years and is regularly featured in best places to work lists. Armanino is a Certified B Corporation®, committed to balancing people and purpose with profits and helping other organizations do the same.